The experiment log ended abruptly.
Qingyang and the others felt a chill run down their backs!
If they had guessed correctly, the being that had recorded this experiment log had already suffered Meme contamination; even its self-awareness and will had been twisted.
No! It was not just the recorder—every lifeform in the entire base had had its perception twisted!
What Qingyang was curious about was what information had been redacted.
What had the recorder and the researchers inside become?
Although he did not know what project the Tianqu Civilization had been researching, it clearly involved things Qingyang could not touch yet.
"Gods? High-dimensional divinity?" Qingyang suddenly recalled a term that had appeared in the Star of Truth's prompt.
It had been used to describe the four Chaos peddlers in that suspected Warhammer Dimensional World.
Crack!
At that moment, a doorway suddenly opened behind the main control room, startling everyone out of their thoughts.
Qingyang and the others looked at each other.
There was another hidden area?
After hesitating briefly, Qingyang ordered, "Scout it out."
Not only had they yet to find the distress signal, but Qingyang would not be content to return empty-handed.
Besides, who knew how many Cosmic Regression Eras had passed? He refused to believe there could still be much danger lurking within.
Two Shadow Edge Mechs immediately detached from the shuttle and shot toward the doorway, while the surrounding Floating Cannons and various weapons rapidly entered standby mode.
No accident occurred. The Shadow Edge Mechs sped through the passage.
Through the perspectives of the two Shadow Edge Mechs, an astonishing sight appeared on the screen.
Following this hidden passageway, roughly five kilometers long, the two Shadow Edge Mechs entered an enormous space.
Dense energy conduits and complex equipment filled the area, with flickering energy fluctuations rippling out from within them.
The equipment and conduits ultimately connected to enormous crystal tanks. Apart from dimmed energy circuits, the tanks contained only vast numbers of mechanical components such as bronze gears.
A rough count showed over twenty crystal tanks. Most had already shattered, with a small amount of bronze parts spilling out.
The Shadow Edge Mechs slowed down and gradually approached the center of the area.
As the Shadow Edge Mechs advanced, the object in the central area gradually became clearer.
It was a massive alloy chamber, roughly ten meters tall, covered in such dense circuits that it made their eyes blur!
Only through a hazy translucent material could they vaguely see inside.
It seemed to be a pitch-black mass?
The shuttle turned around and headed toward the area where the two Shadow Edge Mechs were located.
Not long after, the shuttle stopped before the alloy chamber.
Qingyang stared at the enormous alloy chamber before him and thought, Star of Truth, investigate!
[A chamber with spatial stasis and life anchoring functions. It can be opened by pulling down the four levers on the left simultaneously.]
Levers? That primitive?
Qingyang looked over and indeed saw four massive levers.
Four Shadow Edge Mechs stepped forward at once and gripped the levers. Qingyang waved his hand, and the Dark Gold Light Screens around everyone became visible.
Clack!
The levers were pulled down. The patterns on the massive alloy chamber abruptly lit up, followed by a dense series of crisp mechanical sounds.
As the translucent membrane door slowly opened, a cloud of pale cyan mist rapidly poured out.
After dispersing the surrounding mist, Qingyang warily looked toward the alloy chamber.
Ancient Star and the others had their supernatural abilities and ancient martial energy surging around them as they stared intently at the gradually revealed alloy chamber hatch.
"Uh?"
"Hm? This..."
Qingyang was dumbfounded, and Ancient Star and the others could hardly believe it either.
Inside that highly advanced alloy chamber floated a human girl!
That was right, a human girl!
An incomparably beautiful girl wearing a silver skintight uniform, her cyan hair flowing all the way down to her ankles!
The girl looked only sixteen or seventeen, with a trace of childishness still on her face.
Qingyang had seen such exquisite features and perfect body proportions only on Changxi.
Qingyang immediately cast an inspection.
[■■ Project Prototype (Prototype)] [Mental State: Severely damaged] [Current Status: 100% (Functions locked)] [Type: Mechanically Replicated Dimensional Lifeform (Core framework consists of High-dimensional Energy)] [Details: Due to the collaborator's weak meme resistance, detailed information will not be displayed for now.]
This was the first experimental prototype mentioned in the experiment log?!
Qingyang watched the girl before him, who looked like an exquisite sculpture, with utter seriousness in his eyes.
The logs had explicitly stated that the prototypes possessed a certain connection to Meme contamination and high-dimensional divinity. Yet neither the Star Network nor the Star of Truth had issued any warning.
Did that mean there were no Meme-contaminated substances on this prototype?
Qingyang hesitated.
Suddenly, the tightly closed eyes of the girl in the alloy chamber trembled slightly.
Her slender fingers also began to curl faintly.
Everyone immediately retreated several steps, and the Floating Cannons of all eight Shadow Edge Mechs began charging at once!
As the girl opened her eyes, everyone except a few people felt their minds sway.
Faintly, the sound of some special metal mechanism operating echoed in their minds.
High-dimensional data surged into Changxi's eyes and spread in all directions, immediately awakening everyone who had fallen into a daze.
Aside from Changxi, only Qingyang and Ancient Star had not been affected.
The girl slowly floated out of the alloy chamber. Her pale cyan eyes swept across the surroundings, and a trace of confusion and doubt appeared on her cool little face.
She remembered nothing.
Other than some basic common sense and data knowledge, she did not know where this was, who she was, or what she needed to do.
In the end, the girl fixed her gaze on Changxi.
She sensed an inexplicable familiarity from her.
The next moment, the girl appeared before Changxi in an instant, her expression still cool.
"You seem to be my kind. Do you know what I need to do?"
In the girl's memories, she seemed to need to obey the instructions of certain beings and complete something extremely important!
She could act only after receiving instructions.
Changxi recovered from the girl's words and rapidly analyzed the information within them.
Changxi exchanged glances with Qingyang, and the two swiftly communicated through their eyes. Then she said, "At present, I am acting under this commander's command."
Hearing this, the girl turned her gaze toward Qingyang and silently stared at him.
For a moment, the atmosphere grew somewhat awkward.
"In that case, I will follow your command for the time being as well, Overseer," the girl suddenly said.
"Overseer?"
The girl nodded faintly. "The records state that the person responsible for guiding me was called an Overseer."
Qingyang understood. Some hesitation entered his tone as he said, "Just call me Commander."
It was true that he was not used to being called Overseer, but Qingyang mainly wanted to test whether the girl would obey simple instructions.
For now, this prototype girl's behavior seemed inclined toward mechanical obedience.
"Yes, Commander." The girl's tone remained as cool as ever.
Qingyang's expression turned strange. Though he did not know this girl's strength, he did not need to think to know it was absolutely formidable!
Even with most of her functions locked, the teleportation ability she had just displayed was already terrifying.
And now, with only a few words, he had recruited her?
Why did this feel so surreal?
"Do you know your own name?" Qingyang asked.
The girl nodded. "My codename is Zero."
Qingyang felt helpless. Having only a codename would sound rather strange.
"Since you have no proper name, how about I call you Tianling from now on?"
Zero of the Tianqu Civilization—Tianling for short.
Qingyang was extremely satisfied with the name he had chosen. It was fitting and easy to remember.
The girl's body stiffened. A ripple appeared in her previously placid, lifeless eyes.
A voice suddenly resurfaced in her mind, as though it were lingering beside her ears.
. . . These are your codenames. If one day your lives and souls are successfully perfected, and you become true lifeforms with genuine free will, you will receive names of your own.
Tianling fell silent, then looked at Qingyang. "Do I already possess free will and a complete soul?"
The inexplicable question left Qingyang stunned for a moment.
"You have possessed free will and a soul from the very beginning, Tianling." Qingyang's expression was solemn.
Denying the will of Pan-Humans was the Alliance's most heinous crime.
"..."
"Understood, Commander."
Tianling's expression returned to its cool calmness, though there was a subtle change in her tone.
Before you continue